Monday, March 13, 2017

Hi all. Boy where has the last year gone. So much has happened. Moved twice (finally settled into our own home - if a garage full of unpacked boxes is as settled), oldest has started high school, husband changed jobs to being away for 6 weeks at a time and work seems to have got busier than ever. Doesnt leave much time for scrapbooking. Something I need to work on in 2017.

I am so grateful to Liz and the team at Artfull Crafts for giving me this opportunity and have learnt a few things about myself and my crafting, and made a few new friends. It has built my confidence in my abilities. I have started a lot of projects which have still to be completed so have identified a need to complete what I have started. I find my creativity is not always there when I need it to be, little like writers block.

I am most proud of the work I have created, all of it. Sometimes I am amazed by my own creations even if they weren't quiet what I had envisioned in the beginning. If I had to pick three, I thinks its the ones included in this blog. I have tried to create different projects for you all over the past year, not just layouts and admit card making is not my thing (I will leave that to the experts).

If you like what you have seen over my time with the 2016 Design Team, you are more than welcome to follow me on my own blog Destressing Diane. Hopefully you can see some of those unfinished items (or UFO's - unfinished objects) when I finally find sometime. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my blogs. I hope they have been of some inspiration to you. Signing off for the last time...happy crafting. Diane.

Monday, March 6, 2017

I can’t believe my term on the Artfull Crafts Design Team has come to
end - this last year has certainly flown by so quickly, and I have loved my time on the team.
Thank you to all of you who have followed me throughout the year – your support
and comments have been greatly appreciated. And to Liz – always so bubbly and
supportive – it’s been a great year thank you. Receiving our DT packs was like
Christmas – besides the paper ranges, we always got all these lovely extra
embellishments and bits to complement each range.

Looking back to a year ago, this was one of the first
layouts I did – and definitely one of my favourites (Kaisercraft Coastal Escapes)

And then the exploding box – I so thoroughly enjoyed putting
this one together, and the love received from everyone on this one, was awesome
– thank you! (Kaisercraft Peek-a-boo)

And last but not least, the last layout I created for the
design team, also a favourite of mine, and again so much love received from
everyone on this one. Thank you! (Kaisercraft UBud)

(Haha) .. notice the trend here – all the favourites are in shades of
blue….. J

So the next step for me, as the expression goes “when one door
closes, another door opens” – and I have been fortunate enough to have been
selected on the creative team 2017 for White … with 1. This is a monthly
challenge site, and I would love to see some of your creations on their blog using that
colour of the month!

Monday, February 27, 2017

Hi there. Vonni here for the last time as part of the Artfull Crafts Design Team. The last year has really flown by and I have had the opportunity to play with some amazing Kaisercraft products.

I am mostly a scrapbooker, my style is very simple, but with the awesome Design Team kits I received, I was encouraged to branch out a bit more.

My favourite project from my time on the team was one of my first projects. Using the Storybook range by Kaisercraft and my Silhouette Cameo I made a Book Box which now sits next to my bed and holds a few little keepsakes.

Something that I always planned on doing but never got around to doing, was making my own cards. With inspiration and encouragement from the other Design Team members, I did just that and will continue to do so now I'm getting the knack for it.

This one is my favourite using the Sea Breeze range by Kaisercraft.

I'd like to thank Liz and the team at Artfull Crafts and my fellow Design Team members. It was a great group to be a part of and I hope to see you when the Artfull Crafts Roadshow comes to Wellington!

Thank you also to the readers and followers of the Artfull Crafts blog and Facebook Page.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

As they say, all good things must come to end and my time at Artfull Crafts has come to that end. Its a tad bittersweet saying goodbye, Ive been on the team for awhile and never felt more supported by Liz, who has been very generous with her DT kits, time, friendly ear and support.
There have been challenges along the way, when real life gets in the way of creativity and mojo, or the pushing the boundaries of personal creative preferences, but thats what life and DT's are all about and its been a wonderful adventure.

Thank you to all of you who have commented on my posts, or even just popped onto the blog to have a gander at whats been created. Without your feedback and encouragement its that much harder.

Heres a few of my favourites during my time at Artfull Crafts :)

Christmas. My favourite time of year and one of my favourite types of creativity, OTP :) Lots of Tim Holtz poinsettias with Kaisercraft Christmas papers and delicious Prima!

Layouts. Not my favourite thing to create but I loved how this layout turned out. Mixing BoBunny Soiree Decoupage paper with two different Kaisercraft papers.

Cards. The easiest thing to do, and one of my favourite cards to date, and also one I didn't want to give away ;)

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Debi here; on this glorious day, this is my last post as part of the Artfull Crafts Dt for 2016. I have had heaps of fun, pushed out of some creative comfort zones, and the team and Liz have been supportive through the 2nd half of the year - when a whole heap of stuff happened personally for me.
Finally, Thank YOU for all the lovely comments on my work over this last year.

Over the year, my love of the move 3D style has definitely become apparent to me ;-) and this is something, combined with mixed media journalling and drawing I hope to develop over this coming year.

Here are my 3 fav makes for Artfull Crafts:
This tag book was created for a dear friend and work colleague returning to the UK, I love how it turned out.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Today I am sharing a few quick cards that I've made using Kaisercrafts 'Party Time' range.

I have a few birthdays coming up and not alot of free time for crafting. Using the Kaisercraft Party Time Collectables set, my cards came together very quickly, about 5 mins per card.

I've finnished each card off with Nuvo Crystal Drops. I've used English Mustard, Rhubarb Crumble and Morning Dew to give each card a little extra POP. If you like using pearls, rhinestones, enamel dots and bling on your projects, then Nuvo Crystal Drops are for you. There are heaps of different colours to choose from, including glittery ones, they dry hard like an enamel dot on your project and they are nearly impossible to mess up.

Monday, February 6, 2017

I have been playing with this Kaisercraft UBud Dreams range this week - in my element as the blue/teal is one of my favourite colours. Here is a layout I created using these beautiful papers:

Using a card stock as my base I have cut down the reverse side of the Mandala paper and distressed the edges. I have then used a stencil and texture paste to create the mask. Once this was dry, I then used two different inks - a green one and a blue one to spray over the page, and created some splats with both colours. I cut out a frame from the Sekar paper and also cut out the mandala from the Bayu paper - these are placed behind the photo.The paper in the tears is the Citra paper. The stamp is from an older range of Kaisercraft but the clear stamps available with this range will work just as well. I have then used some of the stickers off the sticker sheet and some of the collectables.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

I promised you the pink version this time round ;) so I hope you're not disappointed with this selection!

Some crafters find cards hard but really they're just mini versions of layouts, and just like layouts they can be as simple or as arty as you like. Today I was in a clean and simple mood :)

First card up is a simple base with 3 layers of paper and cardstock. The balloons were from the sticker selection - to give them definition they are layered with foam tape either one or two pieces and silver thread attached.

I always decorate the inside of my cards - it helps it stand up!, if the front is heavy with embellishments ;) and it makes it look finished, tying it all together.

My second card is another combination of layers of papers and cardstock. The large flag is part of the collectables. Some thread and distressed muslin tucked in behind with some flowers finished it.

The inside is again decorated, and this view of it allows you see the dimension of the card - the flag corners are curled which just gives it a bit more oomph ;)

The last card I have to show you is made with some scraps - never throw them out they can come in handy ;) 3 strips of paper created the base of this card, simple as that. Pop on a doily, twine and a cluster of embellishments and its done.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Here is my take on the Kaisercraft High Tide range. A great range to work with in lovely neutral tones - and ideal for cards, layouts and mini albums. I decided to make a mini album - this wee album is all of 4" x 4" - and very easy to put together.

This little mini album took only two pieces of 4"x4" chipboard and 1 piece of cardstock to make. I cut two strips from the cardstock and created a concertina effect.

The pages were then decorated using the 6x6 paper pad pages, the die cuts from the paper pad and the collectables matching the range.

Here a just a few ideas of the double pages created in the little mini. I then used a piece of denim and created a belt effect to close the album.

Monday, January 30, 2017

In my Dt kit I received the new - or maybe not so new now! - Kaisercraft collection, Party Time. After flicking through what there was I divided it into two sections, the pink and the aqua/blue, and for this post Im showing you what I created with the aqua/blue papers in this collection.

Ive used a simple recipe for all three layouts - paint splatters and stamping for my backgrounds and layered embellishments. For this layout I dry brushed white gesso over the background and splattered paint around, before adding random stamping.

The chipboard stars I altered using white ink and while still wet randomly sprinkled embossing powder on. A few enamel stars from my stash and some thread finished it off, and by popping the photo and the title up on chipboard it gave the whole layout dimension instead of leaving it all flat.

The second layout uses the same recipe, although this green base page is from Mister Fox ;) not Party Time but it tied in beautifully! The speciality paper for this collection was a 12 x12 sheet of die cut circles - I didn't want all of them on my page so I trimmed around the ones I wanted, separating some of them from the main section.

Again as with the first layout I used paint splatters and random stamping, after first priming the paper with clear gesso.

This layout was pretty simple and believe it or not actually took the longest of the three of them! The sprays I used are Lindys Stamp gang and theres a selection of these in the shop.

The final layout to show you today used what I had left over. So the base is just plain white cardstock, more paint splatters and more random stamping.

I love this layout :) its my favourite of the three, possibly because of that cute little great nephew of mine :) :) and its a very clean and simple page, not like me at all! ;)

So, Party Time?
You wouldn't have guessed it from these pages would you?? and thats one thing I love about scrapbooking, taking something and making it your own.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

The 3 cards show case the Kaisercraft Arched Window die - love it! I cut out some patterned paper to put behind each window and cut 2 lots of kraft for each window and layered them together, this raises them up a bit to give some dimension. Using my green tombow glue in one of the new fine tip bottles works so well in doing this!

The backgrounds have been dry embossed with a brick wall pattern and below a lattice design.
Each card has a floral grouping of a Cherry Tree Lane letter and my handmade foamiran flowers - these have been awesome to make and I just love the effect of them.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Aw - isn't this just the cutest, cutest range .... Kaisercraft Peek A Boo (even the name of the range is cute!) Sadly my children are all grown up and most of my baby photos are all scrapped - but I have managed to find a few to add to my exploding box and tell a little story of my gorgeous boy (who turns 24 in April) ....

I used the papers - Kid,Precious,Cherub, and Bambino to decorate the box and each of the box's page. The Cherub paper is perfect for mini albums and pocket pages - as one can cut up the page for pockets and tags.

The bunny on the bottom left picture above was fussy cut from the Specialty Paper - Our baby boy (varnish) - it's quite an awesome paper this, as it quite thick like cardstock and allow you to complete details of your baby (the girl range has one too) - perfect for a 12 x 12 album.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Hi all. I hope that some of you are enjoying some sunshine. Here in Levin, we're still waiting for summer to make an appearance. The good thing about bad weather is time indoors to do a little crafting. I am attempting to finish a few projects that I started at the end of 2016.

The tutorial I used to make this mini came from My Sister's Scrapper. To make the album itself, you only need 1 sheet of 12x12 cardstock. I used an extra sheet of cardstock for photo matting and the belly band. All patterned papers and die cuts came from the 6.5" Peek A Boo paper pad.

Well, I'm off to freshen up my cuppa and finish a few cards while the weather is terrible. Thanks for stopping by :)